It Takes Two To Tango
by Gothic984
Summary: Lucas causes some mischief, which puts Gail in a difficult position.
1. Chapter 1

I do not own any American Gothic characters, this is a work of fan fiction. This story is a continuation of my previous stories Emotion, Old Friends, Family, Difficult Decisions, Reflection, Spirit, Acceptance, Whole Again, Homecoming, Oh Father, Birthday Surprises, Misguided Feelings, New Year, Picture Perfect, Kinship, Big River, Sunday Morning Coming Down, To Beat The Devil, Best Of All Possible Worlds, Little Girl Lost, Wicked Games and Monster Bash.

It was a cool clear November evening in Trinity SC, the moon shone bright in the sky giving off an eerie glow and a soft breeze blew the leaves across the ground. Lucas Buck stood across from a dark alley leaning causally against the wall, taking in the night air. It was getting late and all of the sensible residents in town were settling in with their families; however, this one resident in particular was up to her old tricks and he could not resist tormenting her.

Lucas was whistling along to Johnny Cash's 'Ring of Fire', which could be faintly heard from the bar down the street. It was Sunday night and the bars should be empty; however, they were occupied by the regulars, who wanted to get in a few more beers before the coming work week. He found himself wondering about what could keep a man from his family on a nice clear night like this, then remembered who he was here to see and smiled when he sensed her walking towards him.

Selena sauntered out of the alley, pulling down her short black mini skirt and smoothing off her hair. She could have done better than the middle aged loser she had picked up earlier; however, he performed the required duties she craved and she would not be picky. Although his performance left plenty to be desired, he had filled the void within her even if only for a few moments.

When she saw Lucas leaning against the wall, she felt rage building within her and tried to remain calm. 'What are you doing here Lucas? Did the lovely Miss Emory let you out to play?' she asked cattily.

Lucas smiled and pushed off the wall. 'The lovely Miss Emory is indisposed at this present time, so I thought I'd come visit our resident Teacher. You appear to be falling back into old habits Darlin'...relationship problems?' he asked smugly.

'My relationship is none of your damn business Lucas, from what I hear you need to worry about your own and that little demon she's carrying' Selena spat out viciously and started to saunter down the street.

Lucas watched her walk past him and followed her closely. 'So you heard of my loves predicament then? I suppose it was inevitable'

'The whole town has heard about her predicament Lucas, that's what happens when you announce it at the biggest party of the year...I hope that devil rots...'

'Careful...' Lucas warned calmly and watched as Selena froze on the spot. '...We don't want a repeat of last time do we? I can assure you that I won't be so forgiving should you chose to conspire against me again'

Selena felt the ground underneath her begin to burn; however, she could not move. It was as though she was glued to the spot and someone had set her on fire, the pain was excruciating and she knew this was Lucas toying with her. 'I haven't done anything Lucas, so back off!' she shouted, but felt her skin start to boil.

Lucas smiled as he sensed Selena's pain, he was not going to take any chances this time around and wanted to ensure she remembered what he was capable of. It was inevitable that Selena would plan something to hurt Gail and he had no doubt that Gail herself would come up with some dark torture for Selena if she did; however, it was his duty to ensure Gail felt safe and she should not have to fall back on the dark side of herself, at least not while she was pregnant.

The sound of Selena's yell brought Lucas out of his thoughts and he closed his eyes for a moment, then willed the burning sensation away. 'As long as we're on the same page here Selena...you stay away from her and we won't have any problems' he ordered and waited for her acceptance.

Selena took a deep breath when she was provided with control over herself and a shiver ran down her spine. She had felt sick to her stomach when she had found out about Gail's pregnancy and she wanted to hurt the woman bad; however, this little display was to ensure she was aware that Lucas was watching her every move and she understood his threat loud and clear. 'We won't have a problem Lucas' she agreed, then watched as he just smiled and walked away from her.

Lucas chose not to engage in further conversation, he was late for his gathering with Billy and he knew leaving Selena to stew there alone would infuriate her; therefore, he just strolled away as if he did not have a care in the world.

* * *

Gail sat with Abraham on her front porch, enjoying the feel of the cool breeze on her skin. It had been a week since the Halloween party and although she was still staying with her Uncle Abe, she had been spending more time with Caleb and Merlyn since they were now both aware of her condition.

After Lucas announced to the guests at the party that he was going to be a father and the Mayor's wife Mary gave away that she was the one who was carrying his child, she had hidden herself away from the townspeople. Gossip spread like wild fire in Trinity and knowing people were whispering behind her back was infuriating; therefore, she had chosen to remain out of the public eye, to avoid the stares and whispers she would inevitably get.

The silver lining of her situation was that she outed Lucas to his townspeople and it was amusing to her that they were now all as curious about him as she was. Lucas had been inundated with birthday cards and presents for days following the party, he was also visited by several people wanting to pass on good wishes. She knew having his personal business publicised had caused him bother and she was proud of herself for releasing that information, even if she had to pry into her Uncle Abe's mind to get it.

Gail vowed that she would not come between Abe and Lucas, they were old friends and it was not fair for her to use Abe's closeness to her to dig up dirt on him; however, his announcement to the town about their baby had thrown her off her game and she had read his mind before she even knew what she had done. She would not allow herself to lose control like that again, especially after Abe had taken her in when she was in need.

49 years old, that's how old Lucas was. Usually she would have scoured the local records for information about the year he was born, it would not be hard now that she knew his year of birth and that could open up his family tree to her; however, she was not feeling her usual self and all she could think about was the age gap.

He was 19 when she was born and 27 when her parents died. He had become Sheriff in that same year so he had accomplished a lot by the age of 27, much like her she supposed. 19 years was a big age difference in a relationship, she had suspected he was in his early 40's as she remembered seeing him as a child; however, he did not look it and finding out he would be 50 next year had been a shock.

'You look deep in thought Rosie...you doin' OK?' Abe asked and took a sip of his beer.

Gail gave herself a mental shake and focused on her present company. 'I'm fine, just thinking about all you've done for me...I really do appreciate your help you know?'

Abe smiled, then reached over and gave her knee an affectionate squeeze. 'You know you're no bother...besides, it's nice having a woman around the house again'

Gail leaned her head on his shoulder, closed her eyes and sighed. She knew she could not stay in his home forever and would have to face her life sooner or later; however, she knew Abe enjoyed her company and she did not have the heart to leave him just yet. 'Maybe you should come stay here for a while, when I have to move back. The children would love having you' she suggested.

'Maybe you should invite the children to stay at my place, then you'd all be away from the gossipin' biddies in this town' Abe countered and looked down at her.

'Maybe you should all just move in with me, that way I could keep an eye on you all' Lucas said as he walked up the porch steps, with Billy trailing slowly behind.

Both Abe and Gail turned towards him with raised eyebrows. 'Since when do I need you lookin' after me boy?' Abe asked annoyed.

Lucas laughed and shot Gail a proud smile. Her bump had grown significantly and could no longer be hidden, which indicated his boy was doing just fine. 'You showed how vulnerable you've become when you became weak minded ol' man...but don't you worry, there's plenty of room in my place for your Rosie to take care of you whilst still having space for herself. What do you say Gail? Are you gonna finally do what's right here? You can't take care of 3 children and an ol' man all by yourself' he smirked.

Gail inhaled deeply and attempted to push down her irritation. She hated these interruptions and begrudged him thinking she required help. She had not even begun to consider what was going to happen when the baby was born and she was not ready to give up her independence. 'I can take care of all my responsibilities Lucas. I can also cook and clean, work to pay the bills and do pretty much whatever the hell I want, before you suggest otherwise...so why don't you take your lap dog and get out of here?' Gail ordered and stood up carefully from her seated position.

Lucas disregarded Billy's presence, reached into his pocket to pull out a pen then smiled as he dropped it on the floor. 'Alright Darlin', I'm so clumsy...could one of you two fetch that for me?' he asked, knowing full well neither Gail or Abe could bend down as easily as they once could.

Before either had a chance to comment, Matt Crower stepped out of the house and leaned down to pick up the pen. 'I suppose this is yours?' He asked unimpressed.

'Are you still here Doc? I thought you would've gone back to that pretty tall glass of chocolate over there at the boardin' house by now' Lucas smiled.

Matt glanced at Billy who was stood silently out of the way and shook his head disappointedly. When he had realised the condition Gail had gotten herself into, he had been furious and the old whispers in his mind that he had worked so hard to push down had come flooding back; however, he was trying to remain smart and knew it would cause all sorts of problems for Gail if he gave in to his urges.

Instead of causing a scene, he held up the pen to Lucas and waited for the man to take it from his hand. 'Why would I need a tall glass of chocolate when I have a cool glass of milk right here?' Matt smiled and glanced suggestively at Gail.

Gail watched both men carefully, then came to Matt's side. 'Come to think about it, why would I need a strong Southern Comfort when I have a chilled, smooth glass of Prosecco right here?' Gail interjected.

Lucas inhaled deeply to hide his irritation at his loves choice to side with Harvard. He had hoped that her bond with the thorn in his side would diminish now that she was carrying his child; however, it appeared to have strengthened and he was not impressed with her lack of loyalty. 'Well maybe you should stick to your stiff glass of Prosecco, while I go try myself a pretty little southern bell' he said with a hint of venom in his tone and spotted Poppy Bowen walking down the path.

Gail sensed Lucas' manner change and rolled her eyes, one minute he was joking and the next minute he was acting like a child who's favourite toy had been taken away. She spotted Poppy walking towards them and shook her head. 'If you would've found yourself a pretty little southern bell rather than bothering me, my life would be a lot less complicated right now...It's late Poppy, go home' Gail snapped, as the girl approached them.

Poppy saw the group of people and blushed when she saw Lucas, she had heard the rumours about Gail being pregnant with his child and come to see how her old friend M was doing; however, she started to regret that decision when she heard the irritation in Gail's tone.

'Leave the young girl be Darlin', she only wants to see her friend...ain't that right Poppy?' Lucas asked and shot her a charming smile.

Matt shook his head and stroked Gail's back. 'M's in bed Poppy, where you should be...Gail's right, it's too late so go home and you can see her tomorrow' he said and gave Gail's shoulder an affectionate squeeze.

'I bet you know all about that young girl being in bed Doc. Did you ensure she was tucked in tight yourself, or did you leave the covers loose to allow a little somethin' to slip in later? A girl never forgets her first time' Lucas goaded.

Gail shrugged Matt's hand off her, walked towards Lucas and slapped him hard across the face. 'You leave me and my family alone, that includes Matt' Gail warned, then turned her attention to Abe and led him back inside her house. She was done with this childish exchange.

A car pulled up in front of the garden path and beeped, Matt gave Gail a wave and turned towards Lucas. 'Keep pushing with your smarmy comments Sheriff, with any look you'll push her away completely...' Matt smiled smugly and turned towards Poppy, '...Come on, Loris will drop you off home after she takes me to the Hospital. M will still be here tomorrow'

Lucas narrowed his eyes at Matt and forced his twin to stay down. 'Enjoy the night shift Harvard' he said, then turned towards Gail's house and saw Abe stood at the door.

'Careful boy, she ain't fully sold on you yet' Abe warned.

'Meanin' what?' Lucas asked, approaching his old friend.

'Meanin' her moods are crazy enough as they are, without you pushin' her over the edge. The more you push, the more she'll bite back and that ain't good in her condition'

'Abe's right, Gail is stubborn and will pull away the more you test her' Billy finally chimed in.

Abe did not bother regarding Billy, he had no time for that man after what he had done. The only reason he was still talking to Lucas was due to the length of time they had known each other; however, his actions of late were making it hard to defend his old friend. 'You know what? You go take your lackey somewhere else...we're done here' Abe sighed and started to turn away.

Lucas was becoming sick of Abe's disloyalty and had to keep a tight leash on his twin, to prevent him from causing the man a fatal health related accident. The man had been his best friend throughout the years and his apparent disregard for him now was starting to bother him, which was making it hard to keep his rage in line.

Abe had expected a comeback from his old friend and turned to face him when it did not come. When he spotted the malevolent look on Lucas' face he smiled and shook his head. 'Listen here boy, let's not pretend I can't see your rage comin' from a mile away and talk man to man'

Lucas was taken aback by Abe's candidness and it made him smile. 'I thought that's how we were takin' friend'

Abe hobbled towards Lucas and completely disregarded Billy. 'I can see right through you boy, always have and I get why you'd think I'm not on your side, but be smart...That girl in there is the only family I got, bar you and I'm protectin' our family. If your head wasn't so clouded with mischief and god knows what right now, you'd see what's happenin''

Lucas' smile grew wider and he felt his rage flow through his veins. 'I appreciate your honesty, but now it's your turn to listen...That girl in there is mine, what she's carryin' is mine and everythin' else doesn't matter...I get what you're doin' and I appreciate you takin' her in when she needed it, but now she belongs with me and you need to step aside'

Abe took a step back when he saw the familiar turn in his old friend, it had never been aimed at him and he knew better than to challenge him when he was like this. 'I'm goin' inside Lucas, you'd do well to get outta here before Rosie comes back out' he warned and slowly backed up to the safety of the house.

Lucas took a step forward, feeling his rage take hold; however, the familiar growl from behind him caught his attention and he turned around to face Gideon. 'Well, well, if it ain't the trusted sidekick' Lucas proclaimed with anger in his tone.

Gideon walked forward with teeth bared, then moved towards the front door and stood guard.

Lucas shook his head then smiled. 'I guess we better go and leave the protector of this house alone' he said to Billy, then started to walk down the path.

Lucas did not know what had come over him and decided the best thing to do was to create some distance, before he lashed out. He looked forward to going to Jimmy's bar and releasing his rage on someone more deserving than the people closest to him.

-To be continued-


	2. Chapter 2

Caleb lay peacefully on his side in his bed, hoping he would be left alone for a little while longer. The weekend had gone by far too quickly and he did not want to have to go to school just yet. The good thing about Matt staying with them rather than Gail was that he could put on his best innocent persona, then act ill and Matt would believe him. Although he was a Doctor and would be able to see through a fake illness, Matt trusted Caleb and still believed anything he said.

A soft hand gently wrapping itself around his chest brought him out of his thoughts and he realised he was not alone. He slowly turned to his left to lay on his back and saw Gail fast asleep beside him. Caleb regarded his cousin suspiciously, she had put him to bed last night and was supposed to be returning to Abe's; therefore, her presence here now caused him confusion.

He felt something stir within him when he realised they were alone and his hand caressed her stomach, he sensed resentment radiating off something deep inside of him and felt it beginning to flow through his body. He watched her sleeping peacefully and felt a sick feeling in his stomach, he loved his cousin dearly; however, there was something about her now which caused his blood to boil and the thing within him wanted to rip that thing out of her, to enable them to go back to how things were.

Caleb felt something push down on his leg and turned towards Gideon, who had crept up onto the bed without him noticing. The dog was letting out a low growl and was watching him closely, ready to pounce with any sudden movement that was made.

'Well this looks ominous' Gail yawned, as she gently pulled Caleb's hand off her stomach and sat up.

'Whatever that means...' Caleb said, as guilt flowed through him and tried to hide his previous thoughts. '...What are you doin' here?'

Gideon's growls subsided and he went to his master, allowing her to stroke him affectionately. He lay down so his head was leaning on her stomach and continued to watch Caleb intently.

Gail regarded both Caleb and Gideon suspiciously, then shrugged off the feeling and gave Gideon one last stroke before she got out of the bed. 'Is there a rule against me staying in my own house?' she asked, looking for her dressing gown.

Caleb sat up and chanced giving Gideon a stroke, then smiled when the dog did not attack him. 'Well of course not silly...I just thought you were leavin' after you tucked me in last night'

Gail turned towards him and forced a smile. 'I was, but something came up and I decided to stay here...I gave Abe my bed as I didn't want to leave him alone at his place, I hope you didn't mind sharing with me?'

'Nah...' Caleb shrugged, '...I used to sleep with Merly in a smaller bed when we were little so this was fine'

Gail hated thinking back to what those two had gone through while Gage Temple was alive, she wished she had plucked up the courage to return to Trinity sooner; however, what transpired could not be changed. 'You're a brave, caring boy...I have no doubt you'll protect your little brother in the same way' she smiled, sensing some conflict within him.

Caleb stared at Gail with wide eyes, he felt as though she could see right through him and the guilt he had previously felt returned. 'How do ya know it ain't a girl?' he asked, trying to change the subject.

Gail had known she was carrying a boy well before she had an ultrasound scan confirm the sex of the baby. The truth was she somehow knew there were no girls in the Buck family lineage, she could not explain how she had known this; however, it was a strange bit of knowledge that she would look into further at another time. 'Enough talk for now, I'm starving and you need to get ready for school' Gail smiled and reached for her mobile telephone on the bed stand.

Caleb looked down at his hands, it was inevitable that she would mention school. 'Do I have to go? I really don't wanna' he asked, seeing no point in even bothering making up an excuse.

Gail checked the text message from her Editor Mark and let out a long sigh when she found out that a man was reported missing, all she wanted to do was stay hidden away; however, it appeared that ship had sailed and her Editor wanted her to investigate the matter before it became public. 'You know what? If you don't mind watching Abe for me while I complete a few errands, I'll let you off this once...I get the feeling your Teacher will be worse for wear today anyhow' she said knowing Selena had fallen back into old habits.

Caleb jumped out of bed and smiled. 'Of course I can take care of him...won't people be mad if they see me out of school when I'm not ill though?' he asked, as he looked in his wardrobe for something to wear.

'Don't you worry about that...I guarantee you that all eyes will be on me for the foreseeable future' Gail sighed and signaled for Gideon to follow her out of the room.

* * *

Billy sat on the side porch of the Buck Mansion, with a wet towel hung over his face. It had been an eventful night in which he had drank more than usual and flashbacks of what transpired were going through his head. Billy was not a bad person and he liked to believe he would help anyone in need; however, after what had happened last night, he was starting to doubt his goodness and question the path he had started down.

'Why? What happened last night?' Gail asked, as she casually leaned against the porch rail.

Billy groaned and removed the towel from his face, to see Gail looking radiant in a short floral cream dress and her hair in loose curls over her shoulders. This was the first time she had acknowledged him since she found out he had gotten her medical records for Lucas and he was too hungover to tell whether this exchange was a good thing or bad.

Gail walked forward and picked up the glass of water that was on the table in front of Billy. 'There's no bad things here Doctor, I'm just concerned as to what has my friend in such a state' she smiled sweetly and handed him the glass of water, then sat down beside him.

Billy regarded her curiously and could not sense any malice in her; therefore, he downed the glass of water and lay back in his seat. 'I'm not sure what happened Gail, one minute we were drinking on the pier and the next it all went blank' he sighed.

Gail watched Billy carefully, she had no desire to be around this traitor; however, clearly something had happened and after finding out the subject of her story was last seen with Selena the previous night, it was no coincidence that the womans ex was in such a state. 'It sounds like you had one hell of a bender...' Gail forced a laugh, '...What were you drinking?'

Billy closed his eyes and tried to ignore the pounding in his head. 'What weren't we drinking? Your boyfriend likes his alcohol, I'll give him that'

Gail continued to watch Billy, she needed to tread carefully so not to alert him to her intentions. 'I don't have a boyfriend...' she said bluntly and leaned back in the chair, '...Have you seen Ben and the baby recently? Fatherhood really suits him'

Billy smiled at the thought of Ben and his baby girl. He had hoped that his friend would come back to him after the baby was born; however, Ben would not leave Rita's side and he had been left to fall deeper into the abyss with Lucas.

'You miss him don't you?' Gail asked knowingly.

'I miss you all' Billy replied, with self loathing in his voice. He had known going behind her back was a betrayal, but he did it anyway out of worry for her and look where it had gotten him. He did not want to get involved in what happened last night, it just happened.

'I miss you too, we really did used to have fun. It doesn't have to be like this you know?...I know what you did was out of concern for me and I forgive you...' she lied and stroked his arm softly, '...There's still time for you to get out from under whatever this is and come back to the light'

Billy felt a spark flow through him at her touch and welcomed her warmth, he felt as though he was stumbling around in the dark and wanted more than anything to break free of it. 'You don't understand Gail, it's too late after what happened' he said sadly and closed his eyes in shame.

'It's never too late Billy...what happened?' she asked impatiently, this was taking longer than she had intended and she was getting agitated at having to act as if she was concerned about him.

Billy did not sense the turn in her and was only focused on the warmth of her touch. 'I didn't mean to, I should've stopped it...' he started, then a flash of light burst through his brain and he fell forward holding his head in agony.

Gail sighed and shook her head in frustration, she had sensed the presence surround them as soon as it came close and cursed herself for not getting the truth out of Billy before whatever this was shut him up. Gail stood up and headed into the house, she was done talking to his lackey and decided to got straight to the source.

When she entered the house, she felt the familiar feeling of being watched; however, this time whatever was watching her did not seem malicious, it appeared to just be observing her. Gail shook off the feeling and headed upstairs to the master bedroom, she sensed Lucas was still asleep and was impressed that she had somehow managed to shield her presence from him.

Gail entered the bedroom quietly, ready for a confrontation; however, she softened at the sight of him peacefully laying on his back asleep. She pondered over her options for a moment and decided to take a softer approach, knowing he would close off as soon as he sensed her true goal. Gail took off her jacket and pumps, then pulled off her panties and slowly climbed on top of him under the sheets. She smiled when she heard his low aroused moan, as his manhood became hard due to their closeness and positioned herself over him.

Lucas was dead to the world, until he felt the familiar sensation of Gail closing in around him and his eyes shot open. Once the shock of the unexpected action had subsided, he felt a wave of pleasure flow through him and watched in awe as she began to ride him hard, as though she was not heavily pregnant. Lucas allowed her to continue at this fast pace for a moment, then reached under her dress and gripped her hips tight to slow the movements. When she complied with his unspoken order, he moved his hands over her stomach then up to her large breasts and squeezed.

Gail could not control her loud moans as she felt the intense pleasure of him inside of her and called out each time she pushed him further into her. Remembering she was here for a purpose, she ran her hands over his bare chest and dug her nails in hard. 'I suppose it's you I should thank for dragging me out working today' she panted and picked up the pace.

Lucas called out as she started to ride him faster and tried to take in what she had said. 'I don't see how...if I had my way Darlin', you'd be with me here doin' this all day long' he smiled and moved his hands down to her hips again, to slow the pace.

Gail allowed him to hold her, then pushed his hands off of her and leaned down slightly. 'Had you not allowed a member of the community to go missing, I would be able to stay here with you all day; however, instead I have to go out investigating' she said and scratched his chest so hard that she broke the skin.

Lucas felt the intense pleasure as she drew blood, then reached up and caressed her cheek. 'I don't know what you're talkin' about Miss Emory...If poor Chester decided to run out on his wife, I don't see how that's anythin' to do with me' he panted.

Gail saw something change in his eyes and smiled. 'I didn't mention Chester Cunningham Sheriff, but thanks for confirming my suspicion'

Lucas starred at her suspiciously, it was obvious now that she was out for something here and he would not give in so easily. 'You don't need to mention what my Deputy has already informed me of love, now I'd appreciate not discussin' another man whilst we're performin' this activity' he said and spun her around so he was on top.

Gail allowed herself to be controlled and called out his name when he pushed deep inside of her. This was going to be more challenging than she thought and she chose to change tactics. 'You've been a bad boy Lucas' she panted and reached her hand up to his neck, then gripped it gently.

Lucas felt his twin just below his surface, there was a glint in her eyes that he had not witnessed in some time and he could sense her darkness close to her surface. 'You wouldn't have me any other way Gail' he smiled and bit his lip to stifle his moan, as he thrust in and out of her.

Gail moved her hands to his back and clawed her nails down it, she could sense his craving for her acceptance and knew this was her way in. She gripped his neck again and tightened her hold on his throat, then smiled when she saw his desire for her. 'I want to know you Lucas...I need to know' she whispered.

Lucas slowed his movements to enable him to focus, he could see her longing to punish him in her eyes and it excited him. They had played this game before and she had accepted his true nature, it was about time he let her in fully to find out once and for all if she was with him. 'I'll tell you what you wanna know Gail, but you need to accept what we are' he panted.

Gail stared deep into his eyes and nodded, then an intense vision came over her which caused her to call out as her climax suddenly hit and she felt him explode within her.

Lucas smiled when his release came and he emptied himself inside of her. He knew what she had witnessed in her vision and leaned down to place a reassuring kiss on her lips.

Gail allowed him to kiss her for a moment, then pushed him out of her and got out of the bed. She found a tissue to clean herself up with, then started to put her panties and shoes back on.

'You wanted to know' Lucas shrugged, then propped himself up with his elbow and watched her carefully.

Gail continued to lace up her pumps in silence and turned to leave, when she felt a presence preventing her from opening the bedroom door. She turned back towards Lucas and shot him a look of warning. 'You complied with my request and I suppose I should thank you...now let me leave' she ordered.

Lucas smiled and removed his control of the door, then watched her leave. He had gotten up to some mischief last night with Billy-boy and should probably have kept it hidden; however, if Gail was to be a part of his life, she had to accept him for who he was.

-To be continued-


	3. Chapter 3

Selena Coombs sat at her desk at the front of the classroom, attempting to hide how hungover she was. After her run in with Lucas the previous night, she had gone home and polished off a bottle of wine. That in addition to the drinks she had earlier in the night had left her in a delicate state and she was trying to shield her bad judgement from the classroom of children in front of her.

Selena had given them all a quiz to busy themselves with and was waiting patiently for some sort of notification as to Caleb Temple's whereabouts. No-one had called to inform her he was sick, so naturally she just assumed he was running late and had began preparing a punishment for him; however, it was nearly time for the lunchtime bell and Caleb was nowhere to be found.

That family was beginning to infuriate Selena, their lack of respect for Caleb's education was irresponsible and Caleb's overall attitude when he was here was unacceptable. It was about time someone taught them a lesson and she was at the end of her tether with it all. She knew the true subject of her anger was not Caleb; however, she could not touch the relevant people she had become to hate so much.

When the school bell rang and the children rushed out of the classroom, Selena was relieved. She stood up and paced around the room for a moment, then stormed to the Principles office with a smug smile on her face.

* * *

Ben stood over the cot, staring intently at his newborn baby girl. Rita had gone to bed as soon as the baby had finally fallen asleep and it was Ben's turn to watch her, he had hoped the baby would remain asleep for a few more hours; however, there appeared to be no chance of that, as here she was just staring back at him.

'Come on Izzy, you be quiet now for your momma' he whispered, as he reached down and picked her up gently.

Ben was still coming to terms with having a newborn baby and he was finding it hard to establish his role here. After what had happened with Barbara Joy and Ben Jr, Ben would not allow himself to fall into the trap of making Rita feel unsupported; therefore, although he was unsure of all the right things to do, he would make sure his presence was known.

Lucas had been very understanding and allowed him to take as much time as he needed from work, providing the time was spent taking care of his family. Ben had started seeing Lucas in a different light and wondered if it was down to Gail's delicate condition, Lucas appeared to be less controlling of late and he hoped Gail did not do anything to change the mans good mood.

'God forbid anyone upsets Saint Lucas Buck' Gail sighed from behind him.

Ben turned around and stared at his friend in shock. 'Jesus Gail, you nearly gave me a heart attack...I didn't even hear you knock'

Gail smiled sweetly at the baby, then turned her attention to Ben. 'The door was open and I didn't want to chance knocking in case I woke the baby...I hope you don't mind me letting myself in'

Ben smiled and signaled for Gail to follow him into the living room area. 'Of course not, this little devil has kept us up most of the night so Rita's just catching up on some rest...Do you wanna hold her?' he asked and went to hand the baby to her.

Gail stepped back and held her hands up in a warding gesture. 'I'm just about managing to carry my own Ben, she's better in your hands' she laughed.

Ben respected her wishes and sat down on the couch with Izzy. Gail appeared to be getting bigger with each day and he could see the discomfort starting to show on her face. He sympathised with her, knowing how it was for Rita towards the end, then shook the thoughts out of his mind and turned his full attention to her. 'To what do I owe this visit Gail? I gather you're not here to see Rita, which means something has probably happened'

Gail sighed and sat down on the chair next to the couch. 'Is it that obvious?' she asked and stroked her stomach as she watched Izzy playing with Ben's finger.

Ben had become pretty good at deciphering Gail's moods, he guessed it was a sign that they had become real close friends. He could tell she was agitated and also worried, he hated not being able to drop what he was doing to help; however, he had his family to think about.

'I shouldn't have come here...I'm sorry' Gail said reading his mind and carefully got up from her seated position. Ben did not need to get dragged into what was going on with Billy and Lucas, it was selfish of her to come here in the first place and she should've been more considerate of her friends current situation. She would not bother him with this and chose to leave.

'Wait!...' Ben called and rushed after her, whilst trying to keep hold of Izzy. '...You wouldn't be here if it wasn't important Gail. Just tell me what's going on'

Gail exited the house and stopped on the porch, she did not want Rita to be disturbed so she signaled for Ben to come closer. 'Look, you have your family to take care of...I shouldn't be here bothering you'

'Spit it out Gail, I'm only goin' to be worried if you don't' He ordered.

Gail sighed and shook her head. 'Fine, I don't need you to get involved with this though...I've got it under control and I'm sorting it. All I need to know is if Billy ever took you to some quiet place when you used to go out drinking, that's all'

Ben narrowed his eyes at her, this was a strange thing to be asking and he wanted to know what was going on. He went to question Gail but noticed the stern look in her eyes and knew he would get nowhere if he tried. 'We used to sit at a quiet spot not far from the Pier when Jimmy's Bar let out...why do you need to know this?'

Gail placed her hand reassuringly on his shoulder, then stroked Izzy's face. 'Truthfully, he's got himself caught up in something but I promise I'm on it...Now, remember you're off duty for a reason, so go back inside and enjoy your time with your daughter Ben'

Ben took a deep breath and nodded, he trusted Gail and if Billy had gotten involved with something it was none of his business. He watched as Gail left, then looked down at Izzy trying to suck his finger. He decided he would happily remain oblivious to what was going on outside of this house for as long as he possibly could.

* * *

Lucas sat in his navy blue Crown Victoria, staring at the radio in disbelief. Not only was Gail trying to dig into things that should not concern her, it appeared Selena had finally fully turned against him too. The women in his life were becoming troublesome and he began to wonder if every man had to deal with this type of insubordination, or whether these disobedient types were just drawn to him.

Lucas sighed and got out of the car, he did not want his boy getting into trouble because of Selena's actions and he knew Gail would not react well when she found out that Caleb had been suspended for a month. She had authorised him to miss school on this occasion; however, all the other times the boy played truant was on him and she would not take well to Selena's decision.

He looked towards Abe's Antique Store and smiled when he spotted his boy painting the outside of the Store, with Abe sat in a chair watching him. Clearly the old man was taking full advantage of having a young helper and Caleb appeared happy enough to assist. Lucas casually walked towards the Store and attempted to hide his worry, with any luck Gail would focus her anger on Selena rather than him and Caleb; however, you could never tell with her mood swings of late.

'Afternoon boy...what are you doin' here?' ' Abe asked suspiciously, spotting Lucas before Caleb did.

Caleb turned towards Lucas and smiled, then sensed his fathers unease and put down the paintbrush. 'What's wrong? Is Gail alright?' he asked worried.

Abe stood up at the mention of Gail and regarded Lucas concerned. 'What did you do boy? if you hurt her...' he started.

'You'll do what ol' man?...The girl's pregnant with my child, why would I do anythin'?' Lucas snapped and shook his head in irritation at himself. He appeared to still be affected by the amount he had drank last night and needed to get a handle on disguising his true feelings.

Abe stared at Lucas defiantly, then noticed he did not appear to be himself and stood down. 'Enough of this, what are ya doin' at my Store in the middle of the afternoon? Do I need to be worried?'

Lucas sighed and took control of himself. 'This ain't got nothin' to do with you friend...this concerns the boy' he said and approached Caleb.

Caleb glanced at Abe confused, then turned his focus to his father. 'I ain't done nothin', so you have no reason to take me in' he joked, then his smile faded when Lucas did not laugh.

'Look, you've done nothin' wrong and you shouldn't feel bad...It's just sometimes adults lash out' Lucas said, trying to find the best way to explain this.

Abe narrowed his eyes at Lucas and shook his head. 'What have you done to make other adults lash out Lucas?'

Lucas disregarded his old friends question and focused on Caleb. 'Your cousin is goin' to be mad...hell, she'll be downright pissed, but you need to remember that this isn't down to you' he reassured.

Caleb stared at his father suspiciously, he appreciated the reassurance; however, this only made him worried about what was going on. 'What's happened?' he asked concerned.

Lucas sighed and placed a hand on his son's shoulder. 'Well, you've been expelled for a spell and...'

'He's been what?!' Merlyn asked in shock, as she approached the group.

Lucas closed his eyes in exasperation at the interruption and took a deep breath, he had forgotten about Merlyn Ann and had been hoping to keep this between the boys for as long as possible.

Abe let out a laugh and turned towards the girl. 'You know what? We don't need to get involved in this...' he interjected, sensing Lucas' irritation '...Whatever's goin' on should be handled by the boy's guardians and I for one don't wanna be part of the firing line when my Rosie returns'

Merlyn shot a look of disgust at Lucas and linked her arm around Abe's in an attempt to support him, as he started to walk back into the store. She had known all the times Caleb had missed or abruptly left school would come back to bite him on the behind and she had no desire to be in the vicinity when Gail found out. 'I think you're right Uncle...' she said using Gail's pet name for Abe, knowing this would irritate Lucas to no end. '...Let's go inside and leave these two to their own devices, I ain't gettin' involved in this'

Caleb watched as Merlyn took Abe inside and turned to Lucas concerned, his sisters choice to distance herself from this had not filled him with confidence that everything was going to be alright and his worry began to grow. 'Is this really bad?' he asked.

'It's just a little time away from school son, nothin' to worry about' he lied and forced a reassuring smile.

The truth was that he did not know how bad Gail would react, as her current condition was causing all sorts of changes within her. Abe's and Merlyn's choice to stay as far away from this as possible did not bode well for him and Caleb; however, he did not want to cause his boy further worry. He decided to take Caleb to the Station and would just deal with Gail when she showed herself.

* * *

Gail sat on the bonnet of her car and took a deep breath, panic had started to set in and she could feel her body becoming tense. She closed her eyes and was taken back to the quiet spot Ben and Billy used to go, it was a secluded place onlooking the Trinity River and on any other day she would have been able to appreciate the beauty of the place; however, today she had been there with Gideon hoping her instincts were wrong, only to be proven right.

She had allowed Gideon to lead the way to her desired location and watched curiously as her faithful dog began to dig in the ground. Although the vision she had experienced when she was with Lucas was very clear, she could not fully trust herself due to her condition and part of her doubted what she had seen; however, all doubt faded when Gideon pulled a lifeless hand out of the shallow grave and her instinct was to run.

Gail had returned to her car instantly, leaving the lifeless half buried corpse where it was and then just decided to drive. She had no destination in mind as she could not think clearly, she just kept picturing the lifeless hand and needed to get away.

At first she had driven to her Aunt Judy's old place of work, she felt the goodness radiating out of the place and wanted nothing more than to embrace it; however, something deep within her was pulling her back. Without thinking, she had turned on the engine and began driving for what seemed like forever, until she had pulled up at her current location.

Gail stared intently at the Wicca Store before her. This place was the opposite of Judith's old place of work, it was dark and she could sense the malice inside just waiting to be released. She knew she should not be here, she wanted to be good and pure; however, she kept picturing that lifeless hand and felt this place calling to her. She was captivated by it's mystery and could not take her eyes off of it, being here appeared to ease her discomfort over what she had seen and she felt a strong urge to go inside.

The sound of her mobile telephone ringing pulled her our of her reverie and she stared blankly at the screen when she dug out the telephone. She took another deep breath to calm herself and accepted the call. 'Hi Mark' she said, trying to keep her voice steady.

'It's 15:30 Gail, I need your article by 19:00...is there a problem?' Mark asked abruptly.

Gail rolled her eyes and shook her head. 'You'll get your story' she snapped and hung up the telephone before he could add anything else.

She had promised Mark a story about Chester Cunningham today and it turned out that the subject not only involved the Sheriff, but a high ranking Doctor. This story was gold and she should be writing it up right now; however, it was not that easy.

She was a Reporter and had made it clear on more that one occasion that she would not sacrifice her morals for her lover; however, things were not as black and white as they used to be. Gail cursed out loud at her conflicted feelings and jumped off the car bonnet. She had vowed never to hide the truth, but she had allowed herself to become compromised.

This was Lucas' fault, she may have suspected him of some terrible things and had seen him nearly choke a man to death first hand; however, this was different and there was a dead body that she could potentially tie to him. How could she ignore that? She wanted to truly know him as it was clear that her obsession for him had taken over, but could she really look past this? A vision of the lifeless hand floated through her brain again and she felt physically sick, she had to do something and could not allow this act to go unpunished.

A sharp pain surged through her stomach and she fell to her knees in agony. She was about to shout out for help when she felt a strong sense of being watched. When looked over her shoulder she saw a faded blonde figure stood on the corner of the street, it was hard to be sure from this distance but Gail somehow knew it was her Aunt Judy. She tried to crawl towards her Aunt, desperately wanting to feel her goodness; however, another sharp pain surged through her and she could not move.

Gail closed her eyes and felt darkness engulf her, it was cold and made her shiver uncontrollably but she could not push it away. She opened her eyes to see a blonde figure stood in front of the Wicca Store, she let out a small laugh when she realised this was the woman she saw in a picture at the Buck Mansion. She had seen this woman before at the burial ground behind Lucas' house and knew this was his mother. Her laughter became louder as she realised she was being pulled in two directions and she felt as though her soul was about to split in two.

Suddenly Gideon came from behind the Wicca Store and rushed towards her, he licked her face affectionately and nuzzled himself into her neck. Gail felt herself becoming hysterical with the pain and confusion she was experiencing, then realised she needed to get away when Gideon began nudging her towards the car. She took hold of Gideon to steady herself, then opened the driver side door and pulled herself in.

Without thinking she turned on the engine and drove away from both blonde figures who were calling to her, she watched in the mirror as Gideon skulked back behind the Wicca Store and took a few deep breaths to steady her heart rate. When she was out of Goat Town and on a quiet stretch of road, she pulled over and stroked her stomach. The pain had began to subside and she was starting to think clearly again.

The sound of her mobile telephone ringing caused her to yell out in frustration, she did not need more complications right now. 'What?!' she snapped, as she answered the telephone.

'This is Selena Coombs, your only living relative's school Teacher' Selena said sweetly.

Gail closed her eyes in anger and shook her head. 'This better be good Selena' she warned and listened as the woman smugly informed her that her cousin had been expelled for a month. Gail hung up the telephone without saying a word, then slammed her hands down hard on the steering wheel. The pain in her stomach had dulled and this situation left her with a strong feeling of anger and resentment.

She ran her hand through her hair in exasperation and laughed out loud, then pulled back onto the road and started driving towards her office at the Trinity Guardian. If Mark wanted a story, she believed she had the perfect one for him.

-To be continued-


	4. Chapter 4

Lucas lay in bed contemplating his next move, he had brought Caleb home last night and had expected Gail to make an appearance; however, she had not came. He was not concerned with her well-being, as he would sense if there was something truly wrong or if she was in danger. What was bothering him was the fact that she had allowed Caleb to stay here without her being present, when she had made such a big deal previously about being here with him due to how she felt about his home.

Lucas had enjoyed spending some quality time with his son and was not usually one to look a gift horse in the mouth; however, there was an unease deep within him and he did not trust Gail's lack of action here. He knew her and her allowing him this time alone with her cousin was out of character, which meant he had done something wrong or her attention was elsewhere. Either way, he was curious as to his loves current location and would find out what she was up to.

A quiet knock came at the door, then Rocky rushed into the room when the door slowly opened and Caleb let out quiet curse. 'God damn it Rocky, come back!' he snapped and rushed into the room.

Lucas laughed and shook his head at his boys failed attempt at stealth. 'A word of advice son...if you're gonna try and sneak up on a person, I'd leave the mutt behind' he smiled.

Caleb shot Rocky and irritated look, then perched himself at the end of Lucas' large bed. 'I wasn't sneakin', I was just checkin' if you was awake is all'

Lucas got out of bed and pulled on a pair of boxer shorts, then smiled at Caleb's look of intrigue at his body. 'What's the matter son, you ain't ever seen a real man before?'

Caleb quickly averted his eyes and focused his attention on Rocky. 'Matt always wears a T-Shirt and pyjama's' he shrugged, embarrassed.

'Well Harvard doesn't really have a home son, this is mine and I ain't in the habit of having to cover up in my own bedroom' he laughed and turned towards the wardrobe to find some clothes.

Caleb had not meant to stare and hoped he had not offended Lucas; however, he was intrigued at his fathers relaxed ways. Lucas hardly ever appeared stressed or worried and this fascinated him.

'Why stress when I have everythin' I ever need son?...' he said reading his mind, '...Besides, stress is for losers who don't have the ability to take what they want'

'Gail stresses...about me I guess' Caleb said and looked down at his hands.

Lucas laughed and turned towards him. 'That ol' cousin of yours doesn't stress son, she gets angry and that's completely different...You're too young to understand how adults work, but you'll come to realise that there are two categories of people. Take Ben and Selena, Ben will try his utmost to be a protector and will allow his morals to guide his way; however, he lacks the confidence to take charge fully and that's always been his downfall...Now Selena, she has too much courage to the point where she will instigate somethin' that will come back and bite her on the behind'

'So, there are two types of people...the one's who act and the ones who don't?' Caleb asked.

'The ones who take control son and the ones who allow themselves to be controlled' Lucas corrected.

Caleb nodded and considered his words. 'I think I understand...what about you and Gail? Who takes control and who's controlled?' he asked curiously.

Lucas regarded his boy suspiciously, if he did not know his son better he would suspect this was a trap. Still, he would not be drawn into this when he still suspected something on his property was loyal to his love. 'Your cousin and I are somethin' completely different son, you don't need to be concerned with how we work...The point I'm makin' is your true family aren't bogged down with such menial things like other people and you need to decide what kind of person you wanna become'

'Touchin'' Merlyn said with a hint of venom in her tone, as she leaned against the door with her arms folded over her chest.

Lucas turned towards Merlyn and narrowed his eyes at her. He was irritated at himself for not noticing there was an uninvited guest on his property and was curious as to how she had slipped under his radar. 'I don't recall invitin' you in my home Missy, which means you're an intruder...You're lucky I don't carry a gun, as there may have been a fatal accident here' he warned and stood tall wearing only his boxer shorts.

Merlyn sensed his irritation and shook her head at his display of dominance. She had not wanted to come here; however, she was concerned about her family. 'There are a million other things I'd rather be doin' than intrudin' in this god forsaken place Lucas, but unlike you I actually care about my family' she said and threw a newspaper down on the bed.

'What's wrong Merly?' Caleb asked and picked up the newspaper.

'Nothin's wrong with me, I was happy as Larry having breakfast with Abe. That's until the Trinity Guardian got delivered this mornin'...Have any of you two genius' bothered to locate the heavily pregnant woman in our lives? I guess not, seen as she appears to be single-handedly taking on the Elementary School' she sighed.

'What do you mean?' Lucas asked abruptly, then picked up the paper and read the headline.

'Oh it's all in there, how the school isn't safe for it's children as unauthorised adults are allowed to take the children whenever they want. How it's easy for kid's to leave the premises and Teachers keep it to themselves...I'd say she's gunnin' for that place hard, wouldn't you?' she asked.

Lucas could not believe he had been unaware of Gail's intended actions and an attack on the school from such a high ranking member of their society would not go over well with other officials in the town. 'Why would she...'

'Why would she lash out at the place that expelled her cousin, when she had authorised him to be absent yesterday?...' Merlyn interrupted, '...I don't know Lucas maybe there's somethin' else she wanted to report on but couldn't, so the school took the brunt of it. Or maybe she's just sick of your ex tryin' to insert herself into things that involve our family...who can say'

Lucas disregarded Caleb's look of worry and focused his minds eye on locating Gail, she was not at her house with Abe or at work. It appeared she was shielding herself from him and he felt his rage begin to build within him.

'Aww, what's wrong Sheriff...trouble with that third eye of yours?' Merlyn asked smugly, reveling in the fact that she knew something Lucas did not.

'Where is she?' Lucas demanded to know.

'I have a pretty good idea, but I'm guessin' she doesn't want to be disturbed...I don't know what you did to push her Lucas, but if I were you I'd keep your distance for a while' Merlyn smiled and exited the bedroom.

Caleb watched as his sister left and turned towards Lucas, who was reading the article. 'This ain't that bad is it?' he asked, not understanding why Lucas appeared to be angry at Gail's story.

'Your cousin is proddin' at a hornets nest son, it's our duty to ensure she doesn't get stung' Lucas sighed and threw the newspaper down on the bed.

* * *

Gail awoke in the secluded cabin in the woods that she was so fond of, she had decided that she needed some time alone after submitting her article to Mark and this was the only place she felt completely at peace in this town.

Every since she had changed her focus to the school rather than debating over what to do with the dead body she had found, the pain in her stomach had completely ceased. She was not stupid and knew there was a link between her unborn child hurting her when she was thinking about how to punish his father; therefore, she was glad that Selena had provided her with a much needed distraction.

Gail lay in the large bed and stared up at the ceiling, she probably should have waited before attacking the security of Caleb's school and suspected there would be a backlash; however, Selena had overstepped her boundaries and expelling Caleb was clearly some sort of punishment for someone else. She had not had any dealings with Selena recently, so she could only assume this was to do with Lucas. She was sick of having to deal with the drama that was created by Selena and her article would be a lesson to the woman, to keep away from her family.

Gideon jumped onto the bed and lay beside her, she allowed her companion to get comfortable and stroked him affectionately. 'It appears you're the only one that truly has my best interests at heart' she smiled and rested her head next to his.

'I really hope you don't believe that Gail' Merlyn said concerned and watched as her cousin pulled herself up to a seated position.

'What are you doing here Merlyn? Since when do you cross over into this evil threshold?' she asked sarcastically.

'Since no-one knew where you were and you published a hurtful article against members of an Elementary School' she said and entered the bedroom fully.

Merlyn did not approve of this place, she could sense the evil within it and it made her feel uneasy that her cousin enjoyed spending time here; however, she knew she was safe enough while Gail was around and she had needed to ensure her cousin was alright.

'Technically I didn't publish the article, I'm just a writer and if someone wants to publish my work then that's on them' Gail smiled wickedly.

'Enough about technicalities Gail, this isn't you...What's goin' on? I can feel your conflict about somethin' and I'm worried about you'

Gail sighed and got out of the bed. 'And here I was thinking I would get some peace and quiet here...I'm not a burden for you to be concerned with Merlyn, you're a young girl and you need to focus on the normal things in life. Me and everything that surrounds me is not normal...you and Caleb need to distance yourself from this'

'So that's why you've been pulling away and staying with Abe, to distance us from the strangeness that surrounds you?...Jesus Gail, we've been surrounded by it our whole lives and I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but the more you disappear the closer Caleb gets to the source of the weirdness' Merlyn snapped.

Gail rolled her eyes and shook her head in irritation. 'It's not my fault that Caleb is his son...I mean really, what am I supposed to do about it?'

'Your supposed to stop burying your head in the sand and remember he raped my mother...he's the reason she's dead and that we had to endure what we did growing up, help me keep Caleb away from him Gail' Merlyn pleaded, she knew this was not the time to bring this matter up; however, Gail had been avoiding her and this was the first proper time she had to talk openly to her.

Gail felt the rage within her begin to stir, this was the precise reason she had wanted to be left alone and did not appreciate being made to feel guilty. 'Look, we don't know what he did to your mother and what drove her to kill herself. Regardless of that, we're living in the present not the past and I have more pressing things to focus on than keeping a boy from his father' she snapped.

Merlyn took a step back and shook her head. 'So that's it? You just fall in line behind Lucas Buck, just like everybody else in this town? Wow, I thought you had more sense than that...I guess what Lucas told Caleb this mornin' is right' she said in disappointment.

'Oh and what's that?' Gail sighed.

'That people either take control, or be controlled...It's clear now which one you are Gail' Merlyn let out a small laugh, then left.

Gail watched as Merlyn left, then took a deep breath in an attempt to control her anger. She would not lash out at the girl for speaking her mind, in fact she was proud that she was a strong young woman; however, that did not ease the rage that was flowing through her and she felt disappointed in herself for allowing other things to have more importance than her family.

* * *

Selena paced outside the Principals office, waiting for him to call her in. They had all read Gail's article and the Principal was blaming her for the questions the school now faced. Selena had not thought this through when she got Caleb expelled, she knew Gail would be pissed and that thought made her happy; however, she had never expected the lovely Miss Emory to drop her morals and lash out at the school because of this.

Selena had kept to her usual routine in the hopes that this would blow over without incident and had gotten to lunchtime fine; however, when the lunch bell rang an announcement was made, stating her presence was required in the Principals office. So, here she was awaiting a scolding from her superior and she just hoped he would get on with it.

'Since when does a punishment end so quickly Teacher?' Lucas asked, leaning against the door to the office.

Selena turned towards her ex lover and laughed. 'I should've known you'd be here trying to clean up the lovely Miss Emory's mess, I knew you wouldn't like her publicising comments about the school behind your back'

Lucas stared at Selena with disdain, she had once shown promise that he had admired; however, now she was just bitter and he begrudged having to waste his time on her. 'If you read the article carefully Darlin', you'll notice the lovely Miss Emory questions the actions of certain Teachers and not the school itself...If I were you, I'd keep my head down'

'The lovely Miss Emory is only attacking Teachers for them allowing a certain Sheriff free reign with a young boy...If I were you, I'd remember who the Teachers used to serve' Selena warned.

Lucas regarded Selena's smug demeanor with contempt, clearly she had forgotten who she was dealing with and he did not have the patience for disloyalty today. He released his twin then watched as she clutched at her neck and struggled to get air into her lungs, he smiled wickedly when she fell to the floor and began crawling towards him for help. 'Aww hell, it appears that you mistook me for someone who gives a damn about your threats...You should know better than to threaten me Selena'

'Lucas...' Selena whispered in hoarse breaths.

Lucas' smile grew wider as he watched her struggle for a moment longer, then he pulled his twin back. Selena continued to fight to get air into her lungs after he had released his hold on her and this caused him unexpected concern.

'What's wrong lover? Is there still a bit of sentiment here?' Gail asked, as she approached Selena choking on the floor and allowed her darkness to keep a grip on her neck.

Lucas could not help but smile when he caught sight of Gail, she looked radiant in a short pale blue dress which showed off her bump perfectly. 'There's no love lost here Darlin', I just may not want you to corrupt your purity' he said charmingly.

'To late for that' Gail said bitterly and released her hold on Selena, before she passed out.

The door to the Principals office opened and Lucas shot the Principal a warning glance, which caused him to close the door and leave the trio alone. He walked towards Gail, stepping over Selena's panting body on the floor and placed his hands tenderly on Gail's stomach. 'You've been a naughty girl Miss Emory' he smiled suggestively.

Gail could not hide her wicked smile as she gazed into his eyes, then a vision of the lifeless hand flowed through her mind which caused her to take a step back and remove his hands from her stomach. 'You need to clean up your mess' she ordered.

Lucas looked at her confused, then remembered her early morning visit the previous day. 'Technically that's Billy-boy's mess Sweetheart...you won't find any evidence of another party being present' he smiled smugly.

Gail shook her head in disgust, she wanted to know the real him and here he was. 'Of course not, the almighty Lucas Buck wouldn't be so sloppy...Does your new bestie know you've screwed him over?' she asked judgmentally.

Lucas disregarded Selena's gasp when she realised something had happened with Billy and closed the distance with Gail, he caressed her cheek and stared deep into her eyes. 'He's only screwed if you decide he is love'

'What do you mean?...' she asked confused, '...Is this some game to force my hand at something? If it is, I suggest you truly think about what you're doing'

Lucas smiled and placed a soft kiss on her lips. 'It's time you chose who you really are Gail, either way I'll be here when you're done' he said stroking her lips gently with his thumb, then exited the room leaving her alone with Selena.

Selena stood up and gripped Gail's arm, tighter than she had intended. 'What's he done to Billy?...Answer me Gail!' she demanded.

Gail stared down at Selena's hand on her arm, then relaxed when she removed it. 'You know him better than that, Lucas just gives them enough rope to hang themselves with' she said, finally understanding how her lover truly worked.

'What can I do?' Selena asked, forgetting about the article and focusing on her second love.

'Ill let you know' Gail shrugged, then left Selena alone in the office.

-To be continued-


	5. Chapter 5

Gail stood over the shallow grave, staring at the lifeless hand before her. She had been at a loss as to what her options were and had chosen to just drive straight to the gravesite after her meeting with Lucas at the Elementary School. Gail did not understand why she had allowed this to become her problem, she did not even know the man that was laying dead before her.

It was concerning that she was remaining calm, even though she knew deep down Lucas did something to push Billy to kill a man. Gail had accepted that she had changed since coming to Trinity, she had wanted to remain good and pure; however, it was getting harder to find that side of herself. She should have reported this, regardless of whether there was evidence against Lucas or not. A man was dead and here she was just stood over the body trying to come up with a way to fix this.

Gail could not think straight and was at a loss of what to do. Covering up a murder was not her, neither was allowing a law official to back her into a corner. If she allowed this crime to go unpunished, she would be going against everything she had ever believed in and risked losing herself in the process; however, it was not that simple and Billy had been a good friend at one point.

Gail sighed and ran her fingers through her hair, she had hoped being here would make her choice clear; however, it only caused her further confusion. She inhaled deeply, then shook her head in frustration. She decided that she would not find the answers she required here, so she headed back towards her car.

* * *

Caleb sat behind the Sheriff's Station counter, reading old police reports. Lucas had decided to put him to work if he was not able to attend school and Caleb was happy to be helping his father. With Ben still off duty taking care of his family, Caleb had been tasked with manning the front desk. There had not been much for him to do at this present time; therefore, he had chosen to look over old reports to see what type of crimes had occurred in the past, while he waited for Lucas to return from his visit to the school.

Billy entered the Sheriff's Station and shot Caleb a confused look. 'Either my good friend Ben has drastically changed in appearance, or you've taken up his duties while he's on leave'

Caleb looked up from the police report and laughed. 'Give over...What can I do for you?' he asked, attempting to sound professional.

'Well, I was hoping to have a word with the Sheriff about something. Is he in?'

'Nah, he's been gone a little while...Is there anythin' I can help with?' Caleb asked, trying to be helpful.

Billy forced a smile and shook his head, he wanted to talk about what had happened the other night as he could not get what he did out of his head. He had not meant to hurt anybody, he was a Doctor and he was supposed to help people; however, something had come over him and he could not control his actions.

'Oh stop bein' a baby...' Lucas said as he entered the room, '...You're an adult, it's time you learned to live with your actions Doctor'

Billy turned towards Lucas and grabbed his arm. 'You did something to me...'

'Take control or be controlled' Caleb said nonchalantly, as he returned his attention to the police report on the desk in front of him.

Lucas smiled at his boys comment, it was good to see Caleb was taking it all in.

Billy looked at Caleb confused, then turned back towards Lucas. 'I need to talk to you in private'

'What you need to do is get your hand off my arm, before I break it' Lucas warned calmly and went behind the counter to see what his boy was reading.

'Lucas, if anyone finds out...' Billy started.

'You mean like Gail, who you already made curious? Too late for regrets now Doc' Lucas shrugged.

Billy stared at Lucas with disgust, he had not been himself when he had spoken to Gail and he needed to get a handle on this. 'She's a Reporter Lucas, she reports things'

'Yes she does...pretty well actually' Lucas said, winking at Caleb when he looked up at him.

Billy shook his head in anger, he could see Lucas was not taking his concerns seriously and he could not go into this while Caleb was around. 'Are you gonna give me a minute alone with you or not?' he demanded.

'Not' Lucas said sternly, then watched amused as Billy stormed out.

'Is he gonna be alright?' Caleb asked, not taking his eyes off the report in front of him.

Lucas sighed and placed a hand on the boys shoulder. 'That all depends on your cousin son' he said, then headed towards his office.

* * *

Gail stood outside the large building and stared at it in awe, she had chosen to allow her instincts to guide her when she had left the gravesite and once again they had taken her to this specific location in Goat Town. This place made her feel uneasy, especially after all she had seen here previously; however, she was drawn to it and she could not deny it any longer.

Gail placed her hand on the door handle, then felt a familiar sense of being watched. When she looked behind her, she saw her Aunt Judy standing down the street holding a hand out to her. She wanted nothing more to embrace her family in that instant and could sense the goodness radiating off of her; however, most of her family were dead and she needed to focus on the living, therefore, she disregarded the saintly figure as just part of her imagination and stepped inside the Wicca Store.

She felt a stir in her stomach as she passed over the threshold, then it appeared to settle. Gail did not know what she was doing here or how this place could help with her dilemma; however, the darkness within her gave off a sense of belonging here and she could not shake the feeling.

A few creaks caught her ears and caused her to scan the room for other occupants. She remembered her last visit here and the darkness that had stalked Merlyn, it had been terrifying and she should be afraid; however, her curiosity took over and she began to study the contents of the room.

She was fascinated with this place, it had an air of mystery about it and she wanted to uncover the secrets that were undoubtedly hidden here. She ran her fingers over the old Wicca books on a bookshelf at the far side of the room, being here was taking her mind off of her dilemma and she allowed herself to be distracted as she paced the room.

A loud thud came from the first floor above her, causing Gail to let out a sharp breath. She glanced towards the stairs and considered whether she should leave this curious place, to protect her unborn child. Gail suddenly remembered her past self who liked to show herself on occasion, which reminded her she was never truly alone and decided she had back up if it came to that.

As she chose to head up the stairs she felt another stir in her stomach, she stroked her bump reassuringly and continued up the stairs to the dark hallway of the first floor. The musty smell up here was strong and the air was so thick with dust that Gail could not prevent herself from sneezing. She moved to the small window to the right of the stairs and opened the old dark green curtains, she smiled when the sunlight shone through and opened the window to allow some air to circulate the hallway. It was obvious this place had not been inhabited for quite some time and it was about time it was aired out.

Gail went from room to room, opening windows as she quickly scanned for the source of the noise. It did not take her long to come across Gideon laying casually with his head resting on a book and she cursed herself for not sensing his presence. 'I guess you thought you could scare me huh?' she said playfully and knelt down to inspect the book.

Before she could open it, she felt a cold breeze pass through her and stood up quickly. Gideon brushed over her legs, to reassure her of his presence and stared towards the door. Gail took a deep breath and surveyed the room, it appeared this was an office and her investigative nature tried to shine through; however, she gave herself a mental shake and tried to focus on what had brought her here in the first place.

Gail walked to the desk, ignoring the presence that she felt in the room and sat down. Her instincts had brought her here to solve her dilemma and she had allowed herself to be distracted long enough. Gail sighed and stroked Gideon, who had decided to rest his head on her knee. She had sensed her darkness clawing to get out since she had entered this place and had been holding it back; however, it now occurred to her that this might be the key to providing her with clarity.

Gail inhaled deeply and closed her eyes, then released her darkness. When she felt it flowing freely through her veins, she was met with a vision which caused her to smile. She knew what she had to do and she would have to come to terms with it; however, she was in no rush to stop the exquisite feeling she had flowing through her and chose to just sit back as her darkness took control.

* * *

Caleb smiled at the old woman who had handed him a basket full of muffins as a present for the Sheriff, he had been taking birthday gifts all day and he was beginning to get irritated with the interruptions. It did not appear to bother the townspeople that Lucas' birthday had already past and Caleb did not understand why everybody was making such a fuss after the event.

'You and me both son' Lucas said reading his mind, after the old woman had left.

Caleb looked towards Lucas, who had been locked away in his office all day and shook his head. 'You coulda come out here to accept these gifts yourself' he said, as he placed the muffin basket down next to the 3 fruit baskets and 4 crates of alcohol that had previously been brought in.

'You think I wanna discuss my birthday with these people son?' he asked and walked behind the counter.

'You shouldn't have dropped Gail in it then should you?' Caleb smiled, then reached for the police report he had been reading.

Lucas could not stop himself from smiling, as he remembered the look on Gail's face when Mary revealed her secret at the Mayors party. He supposed he deserved her retaliation in revealing his birthday; however, it did not mean he had to like it. 'Anyway...' Lucas laughed, changing the subject. '...you wanna come patrolling with me? Or am I interruptin' your light reading of confidential police reports?'

Caleb had not thought to ask permission about reading the files and he quickly closed the report in front of him. 'I'd love to get outta here, but who'll hold down the fort if we're gone?'

Lucas shook his head and signaled for Caleb to follow him out back. 'You think my fort needs holdin' son? You have a lot to learn about who's boss around here...Besides, we're coming to the end of our shift and I have some pressing business up in Goat Town to attend to' he said and left the Sheriff's Station.

* * *

Selena leaned on the Pier railing, staring out into the Trinity River. She had been concerned about Billy ever since Lucas' comments at the school and she could not stop thinking about him. She had told Gail that she wanted to help and had not expected her nemesis to take her up on the offer; however, here she was, waiting for Gail after she had messaged her about meeting up.

It had just turned 22:00 and although Selena had no problem in staying out late, it was a school night and she had to be on her best behavior after what Gail had published about the school.

'Oh please, what I wrote was the truth and it's your own fault for being so eager to please that you would allow a child to miss so many classes' Gail said, reading her mind.

Selena turned towards the woman and shook her head in disgust. She was wearing a flattering black dress, which showed off her large breasts and stomach perfectly. 'It's not my fault that our sociopathic Sheriff was so interested in your cousin, do you know what would have happened if I refused him?' she asked bitterly.

Gail smiled at Selena's look of disgust, the womans jealousy was radiating off of her and it amused Gail to no end. 'Don't act as though you obeyed because of fear...if anything, his questionable nature is what turns you on so don't act the victim'

Selena inhaled deeply in an attempt to control her irritation, Gail was not wrong and there was no point in denying it. 'I suppose you're right, I know when to obey and when not to...I guess you know his turn on's require a certain amount of obedience' she said cattily.

'Oh I wouldn't know actually, see I don't kneel to his every whim like a love sick puppy...' Gail laughed, '...Our relationship isn't built on blind obedience, I'll defy him at every chance I get and you know what? He actually likes it and always comes back for more...I guess that's why I'm pregnant with his child and you're stuck all alone'

Selena could feel her anger rising, she resented the fact that Gail was pregnant and truly hated the woman. If she had not come back to Trinity, Lucas would have had Caleb and everything would have gone to plan; however, now Gail had everything she had wanted and Selena was left in the gutter.

'I'm bored of your self pity...' Gail sighed, '...Shall we get on with this?'

Selena stared at Gail with hatred in her eyes, then sighed. 'Fine, what is this anyway?'

Gail approached the Pier rail and stared longingly into the river. 'This is you helping your precious Billy' she said, then started to walk towards Jimmy's bar at the edge of the Pier.

Selena watched Gail suspiciously, then began to follow. She did not trust the woman before her; however, she wanted to help and her only option was to go along with whatever she was planning.

-To be continued-


	6. Chapter 6

Lucas awoke in his empty bed after tossing restlessly all night and tried to push away his frustration. He had been sure that Gail was in Goat Town last night and had driven around the place with Caleb, hoping to locate her presence; however, she had managed to stay under his radar.

It appeared his love had reacquainted herself with her ability to shield his probing and it was starting to bother him. He had no doubt that if something was truly wrong, he would be know; however, her ability to hide herself from him when she was pregnant with his child had to stop, or he would act out on his frustrations.

As he was unable to locate Gail, he had brought Caleb home with him again and chose to take advantage of her absence. The boy was more than happy to spend time with him and he was beginning to wonder if now was the time to approach the subject of him moving in here. Gail would not be impressed; however, he believed she would come around. She had managed to avoid the subject of how things were going to be when their baby was born, so it might be worth having Caleb in place first, before he convinced her to move in with him.

A quiet knock on the door got his attention and he called for Caleb to come in. Rocky barged in before the boy had a chance to and Lucas supposed he should get used to having a mutt in his home, if he was to convince Caleb and Gail to move in with him.

'Sorry to disturb you' Caleb said and perched himself at the bottom of the bed.

'I was up son, you weren't disturbin'...You know you don't need to wait for me to get up before you head downstairs don't you?' Lucas asked, sensing his boys unease.

Caleb just shrugged, it was weird being here without Gail and Merlyn but he knew it was time that he started to truly embrace his lineage. 'Rocky got the paper...she's done it again' He said, changing the subject.

Lucas narrowed his eyes at the boy, then took the newspaper he was holding out in front of him. He shook his head as he read the cover story, not only had Gail continued to focus her attention on the school but she had named Selena as the sole cause of it's security issue. Lucas threw the newspaper down, then got out of bed and got dressed.

'I didn't mean for her to go for Miss Coombs, this is my fault' Caleb sighed and looked down at his hands.

'This ain't your fault son, your cousin is directin' her anger at the school to hide what's truly botherin' her' he said, as he pulled on his pants.

'What are you gonna do?'

Lucas laughed and shook his head, 'You know me son...I'll think of somethin'' he smiled and signaled for Caleb to follow him downstairs.

* * *

Selena shivered as the cold breeze passed over her bare arms, she had been having the strangest dream about being alone in a forest and the sound of a bird singing had woken her up.

She reached for her quilt cover to provide her with some warmth and when her fingers scraped through the dirt on the ground, her eyes shot open and she jumped up. When her vision cleared, Selena was taken aback by her current surroundings. She had been asleep under a tree and had no idea where she was, she raised her hand to her throbbing head and assumed she had just had too much to drink; however, it was not like her to end up in such a random place alone.

Selena closed her eyes, took a deep breath and wrapped her arms around her chest to provide some warmth, she could feel the goose pimples on her bare arms and wondered how long she had been out here. The last thing she remembered was being served by a pretty woman bartender and Gail insisting they do shots. Thinking back to the previous night, it was strange as Gail was pregnant so should not be drinking and she realised the woman had not drank a single drink.

Selena shivered, knelt down and started feeling on the ground for her purse, hoping she had it with her. When her hand brushed against a thick head of her, she turned sharply to see the lifeless female bartender beside, her covered in dirt and began to scream.

* * *

Gail sat behind the large desk in the Head Doctors office in Juniper House, she glanced around the overly bright room and drummed her fingers on the desk patiently. When Billy finally entered the office and stared at her in shock, she just smiled sweetly.

'Gail? How did you get in here?' he asked confused.

Gail shrugged and leaned back comfortably in the chair, seeing Billy in this confused state reminded her of how he used to be. It was a shame he had gone behind her back and ruined any chance of a friendship they may have had. 'This isn't a social visit...' she said bluntly, '...I hear you've gotten yourself into some trouble'

Billy regarded Gail suspiciously, there is only one thing she could be referring to and he was not about to give her a confession. 'Not as bad as your lover I imagine' he said, trying to change her focus.

Gail admired his attempt to divert her attention; however, he had just played right into her game. 'And not as bad as yours I'm sure' she laughed.

Billy did not like the look of amusement in Gail's eyes, if she did in fact know what he had done this should not be funny to her. 'What are you talking about Gail? What is this?' he asked.

Gail's smile faded and she got up from her seated position, then headed towards the large window in the office. 'You know, I was racking my brain about how I was supposed to react to you beating a man to death...I mean, I'm a Reporter and that kind of story would be gold; however, there I was just thinking about what I was supposed to do with that information, considering you had allowed yourself to be screwed completely by having the Sheriff be a witness to your crime'

'Gail I...' Billy started, then stopped when Gail's finger came up to silence him.

'You'd think it would be an easy choice...turn you in with the body and see if any evidence came through to indicate any foul play, but all I kept thinking about was how Lucas had somehow got an airtight crime to pin on you and how he was allowing me to be the one to turn you in'

'Why haven't you? I mean, if you had I would've been in cuffs by now' Billy asked curiously, sensing her conflict.

Gail sighed and shook her head. 'I suppose a tiny part of me buried deep down may still be fond of you, kind of like an annoying pet...' she pondered, '...I thought that, then thought about another annoying pet we both know'

Billy thought about what she was saying and realisation hit. 'What did you do Gail?'

Gail smiled and started to walk towards the door. 'Just like our resident Sheriff, I didn't do a thing...but if I were you and that telephone rings I wouldn't answer it. You know, for self preservation purposes and such' she warned and walked out of the office casually.

Billy watched her leave, then sat down behind his desk and ran his fingers through his hair. Suddenly, the telephone started to ring and he just stared at it. He did not know what was going on; however, he still trusted Gail, so just leaned back and let it ring.

* * *

Lucas sat behind his desk, holding a magic 8 ball. Not only had he been informed by the Principal of the Elementary School that Selena had been suspended, following an influx of complaints by concerned parents; he had just received a telephone call from her stating she was alone in the woods, next to two dead bodies and she required his help.

Lucas was experiencing a strong feeling of agitation and he could not explain why. He was past caring about Selena after all that she had done; however, the thought of her current predicament was causing him unease. It should not bother him, but something deep down was causing him to be agitated with the situation.

'Not unlike when a family dog gets really ill and you have to consider putting it down' Gail suggested, leaning against the open door to his office.

Lucas looked up at her and did not like her smug demeanor. 'I'm not sure she'd appreciate the analogy and being described in that way' he said, standing up from his seated position and walking towards her.

'You're right, that's insulting to dogs everywhere' Gail smiled and allowed him to gently move her away from the door.

Lucas let out a small laugh at her comment and closed the door, to allow them some privacy. 'Not that I mind this pleasant interruption, but is there a point to this visit?' he asked, sensing she had been up to something.

Gail shrugged, then walked towards his desk and perched herself on the edge. 'I was in the neighborhood about to report a crime and I thought I'd drop in to see my lover first...Have you got somewhere to be sweetheart?' she asked sweetly.

Lucas regarded her suspiciously, before she had made her presence known he had released his twin and it had been confirmed that Selena was with the man Billy had beaten to death. He had no clue as to why Selena had gotten there and why she was in the presence of two dead bodies; however, if someone got to her before he did, this matter would get out of hand.

'Well I suppose you should've thought about that before you goaded my friend into his misguided actions' Gail said, reading his mind.

'And what actions did you goad Selena into, pray tell?' he asked, as he approached her and stared deep into her eyes.

Gail held her ground and did not drop her gaze. 'A jealous man takes out the object of his ex lovers affections...not much different than a jealous woman taking out the object her ex lovers attention' she smiled.

Lucas opened up his minds eye, which confirmed the other dead body was of a pretty young bartender that Billy had drunken relations with on more than one occasion. He had used Billy to get to Selena's one night stand, more to prove a point to Selena rather than out of affection for her; however, he did not understand Gail's take on this, or why she would have such a hands on involvement here.

Gail stood up from her seated position and closed the distance between them, she stood just an inch away from him and their bodies were almost touching. 'I came to you out of concern a few days ago and invited you to tell me the truth, but you chose to drag me into something and expected me to play to your rules? You're not the only one who can make a point Lucas...You chose to use my friend in some sick, twisted game of yours so I chose to use your little pet in mine. You think this is my problem to clean up? Well it's not just Billy on the line now and I'm sure that when I submit a report on how Billy was with me every night this week, your Deputies won't find it hard to pin the two murders on your whore'

Lucas inhaled her scent and smiled. She was so close to him now that he was finding it hard to control his urges, even if she was attempting to threaten him. 'So, you take offence at my wanting you to decide how to handle this situation and it results in another person dying? Well, well Miss Emory...I think someone has finally come round to my way of being' he said smugly.

Gail stared deep into his eyes and bit her lip suggestively. She felt the familiar stir between her legs and their closeness was not helping her resistance. 'You chose to throw me into the middle of this while I'm pregnant with your child, what ever consequences that decision had is on you Master Buck' she said playfully.

Lucas could not hold back any longer and pulled her face to his for a passionate kiss, he loved it when her morals faltered and always got excited when she managed to surprise him with her actions. They kissed for a long moment, then he turned her around and placed her hands on the desk. 'I'll accept the consequences Miss Emory, we wouldn't want you feelin' any guilt for the actions that you took'

Gail let out a quiet moan as he ran his fingers up the inside of her thigh and moved them underneath her short dress. 'Technically I didn't do a thing...the illusion of free will, isn't that what you call it?' she whispered and bit her lip when she felt his fingers wrap around her thong.

Lucas smiled in appreciation at the confirmation that she listened to his teaching. 'That's the one love' he whispered in her ear, then nipped at it playfully.

Gail pushed her behind against his manhood and smiled when she felt it hard in his pants. 'Haven't you got some poor stray to rescue Sheriff?' she asked, as he ripped her thong off.

Lucas shook his head, then spanked her hard. 'That stray dog can rescue herself, I've got better things to do with my time' he panted, then unzipped his pants and thrust his hard manhood inside of her.

Gail let out a loud moan as he entered her and allowed him to take her hard. As he pounded in and out of her roughly, she gripped the desk tight and tried to control her yells. The pleasure was so intense that she felt like she was about to explode; however, she did not want him to stop and pushed herself back into him, to show her acceptance.

Lucas pushed deep inside of her and bit her neck to stifle his yells, her questionable act had turned him on and he could not help but pound her hard. He reached around and stroked her stomach, to ensure she was alright with this roughness and continued to take her in this manner, when he sensed her acceptance.

Gail felt herself becoming undone and sensed his release was close. When she felt her climax rising she bit her lip hard to stop from calling out and felt his teeth sink into her shoulder, as he erupted inside of her. A small trail of blood began to run down her shoulder and Lucas licked the wound affectionately. She allowed him to rest his head on hers for a moment while he was still inside of her, then signaled for him to pull out of her.

Lucas watched as Gail cleaned herself up and tucked his manhood back inside his pants, he had not expected this visit and was at a loss as to what to do next. 'So, what am I gonna do with you?' he asked, taking a deep breath to slow his heart rate.

Gail laughed as she straightened her dress and headed towards the door. 'What you won't do is involve me or my friends in your drama...I trust I've made my influence clear with my last two articles?'

Lucas did not like how she had managed to get Selena suspended without his say so and it was clear that people in this town took notice of what she wrote. That was a good tool to have and he would have to find a way to make it work for him in the future.

'Judging by your silent contemplation, I'm assuming I've made my point' she smiled and left the office.

Lucas followed close behind her and watched curiously as she allowed Caleb to stay here, while she just left the Station.

'Is Gail alright?' Caleb asked concerned, expecting to be scolded for being expelled.

Lucas forced a reassuring smile, 'I'm sure she's fine son...on the plus side, I think you get to stay with me again tonight'

Caleb smiled and came from around the counter. 'I'm alright with that...What now?' he asked.

Lucas laughed and shook his head, 'Well I suppose I have a mess to clean up' he said and patted Caleb on the shoulder.

-The End-


End file.
